The epicenter of the earthquakes was a sparsely populated, rural area about 50 km west of Jyeku town, the local authorities 'seat in Yushu (Tibetan: Kyegundu or Jyekundu) county, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, which is about 800 km south-west of Xining, the provincial capital.

The protest marches, which began earlier this week in the town of Tongren, have spread to nearby areas in the western province of Qinghai, which is home to numerous minority ethnic groups, including Tibetans and Mongolians, who retain their own languages.

No arrests or violence were reported following the student protests that began in the town of Tongren and soon spread to other communities in the western province of Qinghai, which is home to numerous minority ethnic groups, including Tibetans and Mongolians, who retain their own languages.